Positive Education: what, why, and how.
Dr Lisa Kettler, Trinity College
Overview
A tiny introduction to Positive Psychology What is Positive Education? Is there an evidence base? One school’s journey with implementation
What is Positive Psychology?
A branch of psychology devoted to the study of human character strengths, possibilities, positive emotion and positive relationships. Is interested in building on and enhancing what’s right as well as working to alleviate what’s wrong. Aiming to assist people “to cultivate what is best within themselves” (Martin Seligman)
Flourishing
Theory of Wellbeing (Seligman) Components of Flourishing: Positive Emotion Engagement Relationships Meaning and Purpose Accomplishment However, up to 14% of young people are suffering from mental health problems including anxiety, depression, conduct disorder and psychoses. Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-24 years In South Australian high schools in 2009, less than 40% of all students were flourishing Why should this be the business of schools?
Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning research team (Durlak, et al., 2008) examined 207 studies of social-emotional learning programs and found that students who participated in such programs at school: Improved significantly in their social and emotional skills and their attitudes to themselves, others, and school Displayed more classroom pro-social behaviour and fewer disruptive and aggressive behaviours Experienced lower levels of depression Scored 11 percentile points higher on standardized achievement tests, relative to peers not receiving the program. Gross National Happiness is the measure rather than GDP RCT Participation in Wellbeing curriculum resulted in 0.53sd improvement in academic outcomes as well as improvements in wellbeing.
Positive Psychology Principles in Education – Positive Education
Skills to respond effectively to adversity Skills to develop and sustain Personal Wellbeing – PERMA NOT Happyology! Positive Education at its best will be….. Lived and modelled by staff Explicitly taught Implicitly embedded Lived by students Teaching, learning and living….
PERMA and how to build it. Character strengths and character development. Emotional Literacy Kindness, empathy and gratitude. Mindful attention and awareness Mental fitness skills (skills we know from CBT and ACT, but now delivered universally) What factors does research say are most strongly related to resilience? (Masten and Reed 2005)
Child Family Others Community
Strong cognitive Close, Close relationship Effective schools skills and attention Caring with a competent, caring adult
Effective problem Authoritative Prosocial peer Safe solving parenting relationships neighbourhoods
Optimism, meaning, High cohesion/low Good social services faith discord
Self efficacy, Parent involvement Good public health positive sense of in education and life and healthcare self
Self regulation and Ties to prosocial impulse control organisations
Valued talents
Humour More about the Positive education Components……. Strengths of Character
https://www.viacharacter.org/www/
Emotional Literacy
Recognising and labelling emotions in self and others Acceptance of emotions Responding appropriately to emotions – links between emotions and reactions
Kindness, Gratitude
Kindness Intentional acts of kindness towards others Our own study found effects for improved wellbeing at follow up and some academic grade advantage for those practicing kindness Gratitude The act of being grateful for or appreciating the people, circumstances or conditions of one’s life Can be taught as a skill in children Simple activities can have lasting effects Significant benefits in wellbeing, sustained gains Mindfulness
Cultivating attention in the present moment On purpose Without judgement about the way our minds respond to our efforts to direct our attention Learning to be anchored in our body and senses Cultivating awareness of our mind and its actions Cultivating awareness of our emotional experience, both positive and negative “Heartfulness” About being, not doing Does it work? What does it do for students?
Mindfulness in Schools– UK MindUP Evaluation – US
Mindfulness changes brain structure
Increases grey matter in the pre-frontal cortex Improved self-regulation, decision making Decreased grey matter in the amygdala Reduced reactivity Increases grey matter in the hippocampus Improvements in retention of new information, linked to reduced emotionality and reactivity.
Mental Fitness Skills
Links between thoughts, emotions and behaviours Cognitive therapy strategies such as recognising negative automatic thoughts and challenging unhelpful cognitions Problem solving skills Recognising and defusing catastrophic thinking Living congruently with values and beliefs Acceptance of difficult emotions So that’s great, but what does it look like in action?
Start with a strategic plan Build a lot of good will Get some people trained Try some things out – toe dipping Measure whatever you can get approval to measure Build in actual lessons Here’s what it looks like….
Staff Strengths board staffroom display Growing strengths language Positive Education Lessons
First trial of dedicated Positive Education Lessons for all year 5 and 6 students across the College, Taught across one semester. Year 5 focus Character strengths Positive Emotions (emotional literacy and self-regulation) Positive Relationships Positive Health Year 6 Focus Mindset Signature Strengths Body image / sleep / nutrition/ Exercise Positive purpose – linked to a service unit Accomplishment (optimistic focus)
Year 6 – Random Acts of Kindness Resilience lessons – a natural opportunity Mindset Gratitude board Middle School Year 10 students practicing Mindfulness Some resources we are using Public lecture 2014 Public lecture 2015 Wellbeing for year 4-6
Average EPOCH Scores for School VS Overall Sample
School 12
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00 Engagement Perseverance Optimism Connectedness Happiness Total Sample 3.61 3.56 3.65 4.19 4.06 School 12 3.62 3.64 3.70 4.27 4.13 Number of Students: 166 Thank you!
And contact details:
Lisa Kettler, College Psychologist Phone: 8523 8795 Email: [email protected]